1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to baseball and softball bats of hollow aluminum construction and more specifically to an end cap for an aluminum baseball or softball bat. The end cap is made of a polymer material having a concave outer end surface and includes a reduced diameter portion telescoped into the end of a hollow aluminum bat. The end cap also includes a hollow interior with radial reinforcing flanges. The end cap may also include a conically shaped solid portion forming a weight extending inwardly to increase the load at the end of the bat and also move the increased load inwardly in relation to the end of the bat. The end cap also dampens vibration of the aluminum bat when impacting a ball.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Aluminum bats have been in use for a number of years and are typically of hollow construction and provided with the usual handle portion and barrel portion having predetermined dimensional characteristics. An end cap is usually provided for closing the open end of the barrel portion of the aluminum bat. However, in prior known bat construction including an aluminum barrel, the barrel typically has a larger diameter than the standard diameter end cap. This requires that the end portion of the barrel of the bat be decreased slightly in diameter, or crimped at the end in order to enable the standard diameter end cap to be used. The following prior art discloses various developments in this field of endeavor.
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,499,128 3,955,816 1,611,858 3,963,239 3,116,926 4,241,919 3,727,295 4,744,136 3,779,551 4,763,899 3,811,596 4,844,460 3,861,682 5,114,144 Canadian Patent 962291 ______________________________________
While the prior art discloses various aluminum bat structures, the prior art does not disclose an end cap constructed in a manner and including a diameter which enables the barrel end of the aluminum bat to maintain a constant diameter throughout its length to the end thereof. Such a construction is shown in my earlier co-pending application, U.S. Ser. No. 08/099,348. Further, the prior art does not disclose an end cap for the open end of an aluminum bat in accordance with the invention of this application in which the end cap has a concave end wall so that the weight of the end cap is moved inwardly in relation to the end of the barrel of the bat. Additionally, the prior art does not disclose an end cap with a solid conical projection extending inwardly into the interior of the barrel at the end of the aluminum bat to effectively add weight inwardly of the end of the bat. The conical weight can be used without the concave end wall or combined therewith.